


Whatever It Takes to Make You Happy

by Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln



Series: I Can Only Notice You [2]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Showing Off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-06 10:29:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8746990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln/pseuds/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln
Summary: Alby and Newt have recently broken up, and Thomas and Newt are free to spend as much time together as they wish. Thomas wouldn't dare try to start a relationship until Newt was ready, but that doesn't mean he can't try to get his attention and show off a bit now and then.Despite the way he feels about Newt, and despite trying to impress him though, Thomas will always be there to comfort him and help him through his breakup. ***This was totally unplanned, but here's a sequel to It's Time to Let it Die! It was suggested by CrazyForNewtmas so of course I couldn't turn it down! I love requests!***





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovlies, like I said, this was a suggestion by CrazyForNewtmas; they suggested I make a part two where Thomas is sort of helping Newt through his breakup, while also trying to show off and whatnot, which I thought was adorable, so here it is!! I'll be adding this one and the first to a series pretty soon! 
> 
> Enjoy please!! (Once again, I'm not really following the plot or using a correct timeline or anything, I'm just rolling with it...) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Thomas was awake before his eyes opened, feeling soft sunlight against his eyelids. 

He didn't want to wake up just yet, but he knew the sooner he forced himself to, the sooner he'd be able to see Newt. With that, he slowly opened his eyes. He laid there for a moment, looking at Newt's little bed beside him. Newt wasn't in it of course, he always got up early. 

Thomas pushed himself up, groaning with the effort. 'I'm way too sore for this...' he thought to himself, looking around, rubbing his eyes. 

Most Gladers were sleeping, including Chuck. Thomas considered going back to bed, but he knew better. He had too much responsibility now; it'd be better for him to get up and moving than be too tired later. 

After Newt and Alby broke up, the next couple days were pretty eventful. 

Thomas managed to get admitted into being a Runner. He found out Newt and Minho were best friends, and being on both of their good sides had to have had something to do with his admission... 

Gally fought it, of course. But Thomas couldn't have cared less. The next day was his first day running, and now here he was, his body aching. It was so much harder than he had thought, but he still craved it. Even then, forcing his sore body up, he was craving to get back out there. 

But first, he had something even more important to cross off his To-Do List for the day, and that was checking on Newt. 

The first day they had broken up, Newt was sad but seemed almost relieved. Now, he just seemed to be falling apart. Thomas was worried about him; Thomas was glad they weren't together anymore, but he didn't want Newt to be miserable. Thomas couldn't help but feel responsible. He tried to assure himself that what he had done was good in the long run, but when Newt cried or adverted his gaze when Alby walked by, he started to think otherwise. 

Thomas looked around briefly, not spotting Newt anywhere- which left only one more place. 

Thomas jogged to their special place; his muscles screamed in protest, but Thomas needed to warm them up anyway. It seemed to be working, the pain ebbing away with every step. 

Thomas approached their place, smiling when he saw Newt. Then frowning when he saw him crying. 

Thomas lowered to the ground beside him. "Hey," he said gently, holding one of his arms open. "Come here." 

Newt just slumped into Thomas' chest. Thomas hugged him and rested his head on his. "You should wake me up next time." Thomas said, rubbing his back. "I wouldn't mind losing sleep to sit with you." 

Thomas' could've sworn he felt the traces of a smile against his chest. 

Newt pulled away, wiping his eyes. "I'm fine, I'm just..." 

"Not fine," Thomas said, offering a little grin. 

Newt laughed dryly and shook his head, more to himself than anyone else, then composed himself and patted Thomas' leg. "What about you? Are you sore?" Newt asked, smiling a little. 

Thomas was a little disappointed that he changed the subject. A seed of worry planted in the pit of his stomach that Newt didn't trust him enough to talk about it. He cleared his throat, and despite how badly he wanted to persist, he decided to back off. "Eh, not really." he lied. He'd rather not make himself sound weak by complaining about how sore he was around Newt. 

Newt looked impressed, making something in Thomas' chest swell. "Wow," Newt said with a nod, "Minho and I were crazy sore after the first run. You're definitely made for this job, then." 

Thomas just shrugged, smiling. 

"Well come on then, let's get breakfast, then you gotta get out of here." Newt said. 

Thomas stood up, pulling Newt up. "I'm loving running and all, but I have to admit, it really sucks not being able to see you all day." 

Newt's cheeks flushed a bit. He adverted his gaze, and just started walking out. It wasn't exactly the reaction Thomas was expecting. Thomas felt himself cringe. That seed of worry becoming a slight panic.

Yet Newt ended up right beside Thomas' side as they walked, his closeness calming him immediately. 

Chuck met them halfway and they all walked to the cafeteria together. Minho was already there at their table. "Bout time," Minho said to Thomas through a mouthful. "Thought you were never gonna show up, shank." He said; there was a certain fondness to it that made Thomas smirk and lightly kick Minho as he walked by.

When they all had their food, they settled in. Thomas sat beside Newt, and Chuck beside Minho. Newt didn't say much, he just looked anywhere but at his friends at the table. Thomas frowned as he watched him; staring off, barely eating, dark circles under his eyes, and the usual edge in his eyes not there. 

Thomas suddenly didn't have much of an appetite himself, but he wouldn't get far without eating. Chuck and Minho were talking and keeping conversations going, but Thomas didn't hear a word, he just found himself staring at Newt and wishing he'd smile. 

After breakfast, which Newt ended up giving most of his to Minho and Thomas, the Runners started heading out. Minho stood aside, crossing his arms impatiently as Thomas rushed after Newt who was already walking away. "Newt!" 

Newt looked over his shoulder, pulling a smile. "Hey. Shouldn't you be in the Maze?" 

"Well I should, but I just wanted to uh," Thomas faltered. He didn't really have much of a plan here. "I just wanted to say bye and that I'll see you later." he muttered, feeling like he should say more, but having no idea what that 'more' was. 

Newt's smile suddenly turned genuine. "Thanks Tommy." he said quietly, then just turned and left. 

Worry crept up his skin; even with the smile, he couldn't help but notice how distant Newt was. Before he seemed so happy to see Thomas and be around him, but now he slinked off the first chance he got. He seemed almost annoyed to have Thomas around. 

Feeling sick, Thomas turned around and started into the Maze without a word. Minho threw his hands up. "I was waiting for you, slinthead." he called, but Thomas just kept going. 

He heard Minho mutter something under his breath, but he must've caught on that Thomas just wanted to run, because before long they were running side-by-side, without a word. 

Thomas let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding, only thinking about that smile Newt gave him before he left.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies :) 
> 
> Here I am with another update! Please do it enjoy it! It's a short one, just one to help me build the plot a little more! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Thomas could've ran for days, loving the opportunity to clear his head. 

But eventually, Minho made him stop for their lunch break. Panting heavily, Minho plopped to the ground. "Geez," he huffed, "someone's ready today." 

Thomas sat beside him. Now that he had stopped, he realized his lungs were burning. He quickly unscrewed the cap off his water, drinking quite a bit of it down. Minho nudged Thomas with his foot. "Hey," he said. "How ya feeling?" 

Thomas just shrugged, digging into his pack for food. Minho frowned, already eating. "Come on man, you can talk to me. What happened?" 

Thomas sighed, just staring at his sandwich. He knew he had to eat, but he really didn't want to. "I don't think he likes me anymore." 

Minho choked briefly. He coughed a couple times, then looked at Thomas incredulously. "What did you just say?" 

Thomas suddenly felt sheepish by that reaction, adverting his gaze to his still-unwrapped sandwich. "Newt. He seems... Annoyed by me. Like every time I talk to him, he just wants me to go away." 

"He's dealing with a breakup, slinthead." Minho said. "On top of that, he's not used to your clingyness." 

Thomas looked at Minho, eyes wide. "What!? I'm not clingy!" he snapped defensively. 

"Yeah you are," Minho said casually, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

Thomas blushed a little. "So what, he's weirded out by me because I'm apparently clingy?" 

"No," Minho said like Thomas was an idiot. "Look, I've known Newt and Alby for a long time. And I'm gonna tell you right know, even when they were at their best, Alby didn't try half as hard as you do. They were more of a throwing-loving-glances-at-each-other-across-the-Glade couple. Newt's not used to you being all sweet and romantic and around all the time." 

Thomas scowled. "Well, I don't want to be like Alby..." 

"Don't be like Alby, then." Minho said simply. "Just give him some time to adjust to... Well, you. Don't ignore him or anything, just loosen up a bit. Get his attention indirectly rather than... Your way." 

"But he had been happy to see me and talk to me for hours before..." Thomas said. "What about that? Why the sudden change?" 

"Before, he was sneaking time for you in. He didn't get it often, so he savored it. Not to mention, he wasn't broken up with Alby yet, so he really didn't have a chance to be miserable." 

Thomas had to admit, this entire conversation made him annoyed and embarrassed. But he supposed he was right. Thomas didn't exactly feel any better, somehow this conversation just made him want to see Newt more, and thinking about needing to give him space upset him. On top of it all, he still wasn't convinced Newt still liked him. He seemed so distant now. 

Minho watched him for a moment. "Just be patient, he likes you. A lot." 

Thomas smiled a little. "You think so?" 

"I know so," Minho said surely. "Trust me, he looks at you a certain kind of way." 

Thomas' cheeks burned a little, and it was all he could do to keep a big smile off his face.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies, here's another update, enjoy :) (Sorry it was so late) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Thomas had to admit, he felt lighter while they ran after his talk with Minho. 

When they made it back to the Glade, Thomas was exhausted. He just wanted to eat, then go to bed. But when he saw Newt, he straightened up and puffed out his chest, pretending he didn't notice Newt there. It felt weird not jogging over to him and bombarding him with questions about his day like he usually would, but he and Minho kept moving. He'd see him at dinner, and he needed to not be as "clingy". It was proving to be difficult already.

After they did what they needed in the Map Room, they headed to the cafeteria. Newt and Chuck were already there; Newt had gotten them food, making Thomas smile as he slid in beside him, trying to hide his eagerness when he started digging in. 

Newt smiled. "So how'd it go? Feeling tired?" 

"Ah no," Thomas lied, "it was super easy. As usual." 

Minho rolled his eyes, but thankfully Newt didn't catch it. 

As they all ate and talked together, Thomas tried to keep his eyes off Newt more than he usually would. It was hard, but he didn't want to overwhelm Newt- he especially didn't want to scare him away. Not after everything, not that they had an actual chance together now. 

But Thomas could've sworn he felt Newt's eyes on him. 

When they finished eating, Newt nudged Thomas. "Hey." 

Thomas smiled. "Hey." 

"Wanna go take a walk?" he asked, his cheeks pink. He gave a somewhat sheepish shrug and a fake smile. 

Thomas grinned a little. "Sure." 

***

It had gotten dark, but Thomas really didn't want to go to bed yet. And by the way Newt was leading them on about their millionth lap around the Glade, he apparently didn't want to either. "So how are you feeling today?" 

After all the joking and pleasant silence the walk had been so far, Thomas was a little surprised by the question. "I'm fine," he said, "why do you ask?" 

Newt shrugged. "You just seemed a little... - I don't know, don't listen to me." he said, looking a little flustered, waving his hands around as if to make the question physically disappear. 

Thomas was confused, but decided to just let it go. "Alright, but what about you? How are you feeling?" 

Newt smiled over at him. "A little better everyday. Don't worry about me." 

Thomas frowned and put his hands in his pockets. Of course he was going to worry about him. Thomas looked around briefly, then reached down and plucked a little yellow flowery-looking plant out of the ground and gave it to Newt. Newt accepted it and looked at it, blushing, then grinned up at Thomas. "... You know this is a weed, right?" 

Thomas stared somewhat blankly, feeling his cheeks burn. "Um, yeah, of course. It's just... Pretty?" 

Newt laughed, genuinely, for the first time in a long time. Thomas' veins were suddenly rushing with happiness- he was ecstatic. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed that laugh. Newt giggled as he looked back up at Thomas, "You're a bloody idiot." he smiled. "But you're a cute one." 

Thomas could feel his face burning. But he couldn't take his eyes off Newt's; the moonlight was catching them and making them stand out against the rest of him. He looked beautiful, hauntingly so. Pale and sharp and unreadable, his gaze as sharp and flawless as glass. Before Thomas could stop himself, he was leaning forward. Newt's eyes widened, and for a moment, he relaxed and moved forward. 

Then something happened right as their lips were going to touch; something in Newt's eyes snapped to life and he took a step back. 

Thomas pulled back, flustered. "Uh... I'm sorry, I-" 

Newt shook his head. "You're fine, it's fine, really. I just... Should get going." he said, rubbing the back of his head. He nodded, "goodnight," he said, quiet and rushed, then quickly walked off. 

Thomas sighed, plopping on the ground right there. He ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. 

"I'm such an idiot."


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so sorry for not updating yesterday! I'm pretty sick and did a lot of sleeping! 
> 
> But I am here now! Please enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Thomas eventually wandered back to his little bed outside. 

Newt and Chuck were asleep, making Thomas smile a little despite himself. He crawled into his bed between them and sighed, eager to fall asleep and forget the embarrassment of earlier. Thomas stared at Newt's thin frame, falling and rising gently as he slept- it gave Thomas an odd calm. Thomas pulled Newt's blanket up so he was covered completely, then shut his eyes and focused on trying to fall asleep. 

***

"Wake uuuuppp." 

Thomas stirred and groaned, pulling his blanket over his head. "It can't be time already." 

"Come on, Tommy, you're gonna miss breakfast." 

Thomas sat up when he realized it was Newt. He was confused but he smiled, looking Newt up and down. "You're still here," Thomas said slowly, as if he might jinx it. 

Newt shrugged, a little smile on his face. "Feelin' a little better today." 

Thomas smiled widely. "I'm glad. Come on, let's go eat, I'm starving."

Newt nodded and followed quietly. As they walked, Thomas couldn't help but notice the little, yellow flower- which was apparently a weed- sticking out of Newt's pocket. 

As they ate, Newt actually contributed to the conversation a couple times. He didn't look so hollow. Thomas was glad, he had expected Newt to avoid him after last night. 

'Ugh, last night,' he thought, almost audibly groaning. He ran his hand through his hair; he couldn't believe he did something so stupid. 

When it was time to go into the Maze, Thomas wasn't going to say goodbye. He had to give Newt his space, Minho was right about that. But as he and Minho were going to leave, Newt walked up. "Good luck." he said, smiling. 

Thomas returned it and nodded. "I'll see you later," he said. 

Before Thomas could turn to leave, Newt stretched and left a kiss on Thomas' cheek. Thomas was dazed for a moment, but Newt was grinning and walking off before Thomas could do a thing. Minho rolled his eyes and grabbed Thomas' arm. "Come on, Casanova. We've got a job to do." 

Thomas gingerly touched his cheek, a big smile finding his face. 

He turned and followed Minho into the Maze, fighting the urge to just giggle the entire way. 

***

"So what was that about?" Minho asked, smirking as they sat down for lunch. 

Thomas sat across from him, not able to keep the smile off his face. "I have no idea what you're talking about. No biggy, just a little kiss." 

"No big deal, huh?" Minho teased. "Cause last I checked, he doesn't walk around kissing me or Chuck on the cheek. Did something happen?" 

Thomas nodded. "Uh, yeah. Nothing good, though." 

Minho rose an eyebrow. Thomas let out a sigh. "I don't know why he's in such a good mood today. I kind of messed things all up last night." 

"How so?" Minho asked, paying more attention to his food than Thomas at this point. 

Thomas' cheeks burned. "I tried to kiss him. And he rejected me." 

Minho paused and looked at him. "Really?" 

Thomas just nodded. Minho shook his head. "You're a slinthead. I guess he's not mad." 

Thomas smiled a little, still able to feel Newt's lips on his cheek. "I guess not..." 

"Maybe he regrets turning you away," Minho suggested with a smirk. "Just maybe try a little harder to give him space." 

Thomas laughed. "No kidding." 

Thomas was eager to get moving again; the sooner they were done, the sooner he got back to Newt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've noticed these chapters are really short. Maybe I should start combining my ideas for two chapters together so they're a bit longer.. Hmm.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry guys, I've been super busy and have another series going at the same time and just didn't have time to update! But here I am, and here's the update, please do enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Needless to say, Thomas was in a good mood all day. 

Running somehow seemed a million times easier that day. The smile never left his face, the feeling of Newt's lips on his cheek never fading. Minho teased, but it didn't bother Thomas in the slightest. Embarrassed him a little, yes, but nothing he couldn't handle. 

He left himself hope that maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something. 

The thought sent a fresh rush of blood through his cheeks every time. 

When they made it back, Thomas suddenly felt much more confident. After the Map Room, they made their way to the cafeteria. Newt slid in beside him not long after they had sat down, Chuck beside Minho. "What's got him so happy?" Chuck asked, but Minho just kicked Chuck from under the table. 

Thomas put his arm around the back of their bench, smiling at Newt occasionally as they ate and talked. Thomas couldn't help but notice how close he was to putting his arm around Newt. And how much he wanted to. 

However, he was confident, but he wasn't that confident. 

Newt on the other hand would rest a hand on Thomas' leg at random when talking to him, or would lean in closer when Thomas spoke. The little actions were so subtle and played so well into the conversation, Thomas almost thought nothing of them. Almost. It's not like something like that could go unnoticed with Thomas for very long. 

"Wanna go to our place?" Thomas asked as they stood, taking their dishes back to Frypan. 

Newt grinned somewhat dangerously, making Thomas' heart skip a beat. "I'd like that." 

They disappeared together, dusk already taking the sky. Thomas could feel himself getting exhausted, but at the same time, nothing was going to stop him from following Newt and spending at least a little time. 

They settled down and they sat there for a little while, not speaking. It was a comfortable silence. It was pitch-black under the trees despite the speckles of dusk peeking through the leaves. Thomas glanced over at Newt, watching his eyes dance around those little patches of sky, as if he were looking for something. Thomas wished he could be that something, but seeing as Newt's eyes were on the sky, he had a feeling it probably wasn't him. 

"You seem... Better today," Thomas said, anything to get those eyes on him. "Do you feel better?"

Newt nodded. "I do," he said, then glanced at Thomas. "I was just... wondering if..." his voice trailed off. "Never mind, I forgot what I was going to say." 

Thomas frowned. He'd noticed lately that Newt seemed a bit upset when they were alone, but he still wanted this time with him all of a sudden. Usually it was Thomas asking, but since he'd taken Minho's advice, Newt had been asking for these getaways. "Is there something else bothering you?" Thomas persisted. "Besides the break up?" 

Newt looked at him for a moment and huffed. "I don't know," he said simply, then didn't say anything else on the matter. And Thomas didn't push him. Not yet. Thomas didn't know why, but he knew something big was happening inside Newt. And whenever Newt himself figured out what that was and what he wanted, even if it wasn't in Thomas' favor, Newt would tell him. Thomas trusted in that absolute wholeheartedly without knowing why. 

But sometimes, you don't have to know. 

***

Thomas awoke to his entire body aching. 

He was still leaned against that tree. He was alone now. 

He rubbed his eyes and looked down at his lap where there was a small, purple flower resting on his lap. He just smiled a little and pocketed it, getting to his feet. 

Chuck found him not long after he had wandered into the cafeteria. "Where were you last night? I was all alone!" he said, punching Thomas' arm with no real malice to it. 

Thomas felt bad about that one. "I'm really sorry, I just fell asleep. Trust me, my back is killing me, I would have much rather slept in our usual spot." he patted Chuck's head. 

Chuck didn't mind, but of course, he didn't stop talking. "I heard Newt kissed you," he said with a grin. "Did you mess it up?" he looked around before whispering, "was there tongue?" 

Thomas blushed. "He kissed me on the cheek!" 

Chuck looked a little disappointed. "Oh. So you guys aren't together yet?" 

"No," Thomas snapped. Then sighed. "He's not ready. And he may never be. It's hard to say with him." 

"I think you're just blind," Chuck said dismissively. It made him think about what Minho had said, about the way Newt looked at him. But he didn't ponder it, because if he thought for even a second he was being blind, and that Newt did like him, he'd get his hopes up too high just to have them come crashing down. He would only believe Newt had feelings for him when and if he said it. 

Newt didn't join them for breakfast that day. Thomas looked at Minho, who rolled his eyes. "He's a Keeper, ya know, he does have some business to do here and there." 

Thomas sighed. "I know," he muttered. "I know." 

When they were heading out to the Maze, Newt didn't come to see him off. He frowned and Minho clasped his shoulder. "He'll be here when we get back." 

Thomas nodded and gently fingered the flower in his pocket. "I know," he smiled, it's gentle petals turning something inside Thomas. "Alright," he smiled. "Let's go."


	6. Author's Note!

Hey guys!!

So I won't be posting an actual chapter tonight or tomorrow, I'm so sorry!! I very unexpectedly was out all day celebrating (I got accepted to Whitworth University:) ), and tomorrow I'm staying at a friends house, because we'll be at a Christmas party all night!

Sorry guys, but I will be back on Wednesday hopefully!!


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lovlies! 
> 
> So sorry for the delay, I've been away (That rhymed, lolol), but I am back now! I might be leaving again tonight, but more than likely I will be here- AND school is out for two weeks, yay! I was going to update last night, but I was so tired! So here we are, enjoy! :D It's a short chapter, but there will be another one today :) Maybe the last, but they're might be two more left... I guess it depends on the length of the next one. 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

The closer they got to the Glade, the more on-edge Thomas was. 

But in a good way; he couldn't stay calm, but he also couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He hadn't seen Newt this morning, and he was definitely ready to see him now. It was a mystery how he had managed to make it through the entire day so far. 

When they finished up in the Map Room, they started out. "Where do you think he was this morning?" Thomas asked curiously.

Minho rolled his eyes. "Like I said, probably business. He's a Keeper, he's busy. He's been taking some time off, maybe he's starting to get back to work." 

Thomas nodded. The thought of not being able to constantly see Newt everyday was definitely a bummer, but he was also sort of glad. If he was working and focusing again, he must've felt much better. 

When they reached the cafeteria, Chuck came running out and grabbed Thomas' arm, "Food's not ready yet, we gotta go!" he shouted frantically. 

Thomas and Minho exchanged glances. "Yes it is, I can see people getting some!" Minho said, pushing past Chuck. Seconds later he was rushing back out. "Ya know what, Chuck's right, let's go." 

Thomas eyed them both. "What? What's going on?" 

Minho and Chuck just exchanged glances. Thomas glared and pushed past them both. He wandered inside and saw what the big fuss was; Alby and Newt were sitting together, talking and eating. Thomas could feel his blood boiling, but he tried to talk himself down. 'They're just talking,' he thought. 'It's no big deal.' but even as he was thinking it, he was marching over there- the thought that maybe Newt was with him this morning spurring him on. 

"Hey." Thomas said, sounding strained. He was already having a hard time not completely losing it. 

Newt looked over at him, the smile falling from his face. "Tommy," he sounded worried, which wasn't a good sign. "Are you okay? You don't look so..." 

"Happy?" Thomas snapped, trying to calm himself down. This was already getting out of control. Just seeing Alby here with Newt sent waves of incomprehensible rage through him. He let out a choked laugh. "I've seen better days," he said, looking at Alby. 

"I think I should go," Alby said, moving to stand. 

"No, no!" Thomas said, waving his hands back and forth, sounding a bit hysterical. "Stay. I insist. I'll go. Wouldn't want to interrupt you two." he said, turning and leaving. He ignored Newt yelling to him and just shoved past Minho and Chuck. 

He walked across the Glade, breaths shaking, fists clutched. It felt like he had cotton stuffed in his ears, which just made him even more agitated. He needed to calm down. They were just talking. 'What did I expect?' he thought in a feeble attempt to chill out, 'that they'd just never interact with each other again?' 

Even so, when he felt Newt's hand on his arm, he spun on him. "What?!" he growled. 

Newt recoiled a little bit, then just shook his head. "Why are you freakin' out!? We were just talkin'-" 

"About what? Each other? What happened between you two? How to fix it?" Thomas threw up his hands. "Isn't that nice? You two are working things out." 

Newt glared. "I think you need to calm down." 

Thomas scoffed. "Me? Calm down? Sorry, but you've been leading me on just to go running back to him. I think I'll pass on the whole calming down thing." 

Thomas had never seen Newt so angry. "You're a shuck-face." Newt growled, his face flushed red. And not in the adorable kind of way when Thomas said or did something nice- this was all anger. "You once said Alby was a problem because he never let me have any freedom, but it seems you're doin' the exact same thing. He asked if we could start talkin' now so it wouldn't be as awkward for him when you and I got together!" Newt yelled. Suddenly, Thomas didn't feel so mad at them anymore, just at himself. "But I guess that's not a bloody problem anymore," Newt hissed, making Thomas' heart dropped. 

Newt turned to storm off, then spun on his heels and dug the little yellow flower out of his pocket and threw it on the ground, hard. "And take your bloody weed!" he yelled, then stormed off. 

Thomas just stood there, feeling frozen. He had to remind himself to breathe. 

Minho came jogging over, Chuck huffing and trying to keep up behind him, shaking his head. "What did you do, shuck-face?" Minho asked gravely. 

Thomas didn't even look at him, just swallowed whatever that horrible lump in his throat was. 

"I messed up."


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back, darlings! 
> 
> We got this awesome fiber-optic tree, it's too cool! And all my presents are wrapped and bagged, so I think it's safe to say I am prepared for Christmas!! So, now that I have time- here's the next update, enjoy!!! Also, I'm thinking only one more chapter after this one!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Minho snapped his fingers in Thomas' face. "You still with us?" 

Thomas blinked, then nodded. Admittedly, he was lost in his thoughts, but still. 

Thomas, Minho, and Chuck were just sitting around by Thomas' and Chuck's beds. Thomas kept glancing at Newt's beside his; an empty, messy blanket and small pillow. Newt never even attempted to straighten out his little bed. He would just get under his blanket, even if it was completely sideways. It was adorable. Though the darker it got, the more Thomas feared he wasn't coming back. He had disappeared into the Homestead with Alby, making Thomas feel sick. 

Thomas just sat, turning his attention back to the flower Newt had thrown on the ground, spinning it in his fingers. One of its petals was bent, the other had come off, but Thomas couldn't just leave it there. 

"What should I do?" Thomas murmured. 

Minho shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen him so mad." 

Chuck punched Minho's arm. "Don't be so insensitive," he snapped, then turned his attention to Thomas. "You need to do something, though. Otherwise he's not coming back." 

Minho rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to Chuck, he's an idiot. He'll come back, he likes you too much." 

Thomas glanced up towards the Homestead. Usually their words meant something to him, but thinking about Newt with Alby in there just made everything they say seem obsolete. Thomas' mind was spinning with what they could be doing in there. Once again, he felt sick. 

Thomas sighed and shrugged. "I think I ruined things." 

Minho frowned. "Come on now, that was an honest mistake." 

Thomas shook his head. "I should've asked. I yelled at him for running back to Alby, when he was just preparing to be with me." Thomas dropped his head into his hands. "I'd be pretty pissed, too." 

Minho and Chuck were silent after that. 

Soon enough, Minho went off to wherever it was that he went at nights. Chuck just told Thomas goodnight and bundled up in his blanket. Thomas laid down, but he didn't sleep. He just stared at the light in the Homestead. He kept hoping to see Newt come back out; Hell, Thomas wouldn't have minded if he had come out and refused to talk to him, as long as he wasn't in there with Alby. 

Much to Thomas' horror, the light switched off, and there was still no sign of Newt. 

Thomas turned his back on the Homestead, trying to hold in his emotions. But this was it, Newt was spending the night in there. With Alby. When he was mad at Thomas. After saying there wasn't a chance for them anymore. Thomas could imagine Alby put his hands on Newt- the thought making him let out an odd combination of a hiccup and a sob. 

He threw his hand over his mouth and eyed Chuck, making sure he didn't wake him up. His body trembled with the effort to not cry, but even still, his eyes filled. 

A snap came from behind him and he swung around instinctively, making Newt jump. "What?!" Newt half-whispered, half-shouted, a hand on his chest as he eyed Thomas, looking terrified and confused. 

Thomas smiled much bigger than he thought possible and scrambled to his knees, grabbing Newt's hand and leading him onto his little bed with him. "Newt!" was all he managed to say. 

Newt tilted his head slightly. "What?" he repeated. 

"I- I thought, I thought you were-" Thomas just shook his head, not able to find the words. 

"What?" Newt asked, looking annoyed now. "That I went and hooked up with Alby to piss ya off? I'm not that low."

Thomas internally winced. "Yeah..." he muttered, then shook his head, squeezing Newt's hand. "Newt, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry and I-" 

Newt pulled his hands away and raised them, signaling for Thomas to stop talking. "Tommy, just bloody shut up, okay? I'm tired. We can deal with this klunk tomorrow. Go to bed." 

Thomas nodded a little. He was disappointed, but unbelievably thankful that he came back. Thomas laid down, turning his back on Newt, figuring Newt wouldn't really want him staring at him all night. Even still, he listened to Newt's body shuffling under his covers and settling. 

Thomas jumped when he felt Newt's hand on his back. 

It lingered there softly, his fingers just barely tracing circles on his back. Somehow, Thomas still got the feeling he shouldn't turn around. But he relaxed under his touch, not sure if he should say something or not. 

Newt spoke up first, thankfully. 

"And don't bloody cry over me again," he said softly but sternly. 

Just like that, Newt's hand was gone and Thomas listened to him turn the other way. 

Despite everything, Thomas smiled just slightly.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! Let's wrap this up! :D 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

When Thomas awoke, he awoke thinking about Newt. 

He searched all over the Glade until he found him. But when he tried to talk to him, Newt shot him down. "No, Tommy. We're not gonna cram this in before you have to go runnin', we'll do this when you get back." The coldness and annoyance in his voice made Thomas get a bad feeling. 

So Thomas ate breakfast alone. When Minho and Chuck sat with him, he asked them to leave. 

He just wanted some time to think about things, mostly what he was going to say to win Newt back over. 

When it was time to go, Thomas waited for Minho. He looked around, surprised the Keeper wasn't already rushing him. He spotted him talking with Newt. Thomas could feel his cheeks flush. 'I wonder what they're talking about,' Thomas thought, kind of hoping and not hoping it was about him. 

When Minho arrived, they took right off into the Maze. 

"So what were you guys talking about?" Thomas asked, trying to sound casual, but he hesitated too much. 

Minho rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business." 

"But-" 

Minho shot him a grin. "Just trust me, okay?" 

Something stirred inside Thomas and he returned the grin. "Okay." 

***

They ran in relative silence, as usual. They had a job to do of course, but Thomas couldn't wait to get back. He wanted to talk to Newt, he wanted to make this right. He wanted all sorts of things, but above all, he wanted Newt to understand how sorry he was. 

When they finally did get back, it was all Thomas could do not to skip dinner and go find him. But Minho told him to chill out and just wait. 

So Thomas sat with Minho and Chuck, eating and wondering where Newt was. 

When Minho stood, he leaned down and said lowly. "You know where to find him," then walked away, throwing a smirk over his shoulder as he did so. 

Thomas pushed the small remainder of his food over to Chuck. "This is yours, I'll see you tonight," he said, getting up and running that way, towards their place. Where else could he be? It was so obvious it almost hurt that Thomas didn't figure out that was where he went in the first place. 

Thomas came up to the tree, stopping to catch his breath. 

Newt stood when he saw him and looked at him with an expression Thomas couldn't figure out. It was neither hostile nor inviting. But somehow, there was a look in his eyes that was so strong, Thomas was pulled to him. Thomas' mind went blank the longer he looked in his eyes, and by the time he had reached Newt, he had forgotten how to speak. 

The two looked at each other for a moment, that seemed like forever. Newt broke eye contact first, his eyes looking Thomas up and down, then found his face again. "You thought I was leading you on?" it sounded so weird to hear talking, after their moment of purely gazing, it sounded foreign and wrong. 

Thomas shook his head; of course, now he couldn't remember a thing he was going to say. "No, I just said that," he blurted, "I didn't mean it. I just saw you two together and I just felt so... I'm sorry. I never would've said that or even yelled at you if I was in my right mind, I was just so upset because I-" he stopped short. 

Newt looked over him again before speaking again. "Because what?" he asked, an expectancy in his eyes. 

Thomas felt like a deer in headlights. Newt knew what he was going to say, didn't he? Surely he did. There was no way he could have misunderstood. So then, why would he want to hear it? Unless... 

"Because I, uh. I like you." he stopped, shaking his head before continuing. "I love you. And I didn't want to lose you, because I don't think I can at this point. I want you to be happy, but I'm selfish and I want you to be happy with me. I just want... to make you happy." he said, his voice fading away as he spoke. He sounded so pathetic. 

But apparently that was what Newt wanted to hear. 

A big smile found his face. "That's not selfish, Tommy. And I know that I made you feel that way, and I'm sorry. Whenever you accused me of leading you on, I just got so mad because I-" he hesitated, then let out a little laugh. "Well because I bloody love you. I knew that for a long time." he glanced away, his eyes somewhere else- Thomas could see the gears in his mind turning. "And when you tried to kiss me that night, I wanted to kiss you too." he said quietly, "but I got scared that if I kissed you, we'd be official, and then something awful would happen to us. I don't want anything to happen to us." 

Thomas smiled a little and took a risky step forward. "Nothing will," he insisted. "I promise you." 

Newt glanced up at him, unreadable again. Somehow that made Thomas excited; there was something about the mysteriousness of Newt that made his heart race. 

"Then we should... try it again." Thomas blanched for a second, so Newt continued. "The kiss?" he asked, his cheeks flushing. "Unless you don't want to-" 

Thomas laughed. "Of course I want to," he said, then frowned. "Are you sure you want to?" he asked, he definitely didn't want to force him into anything he wasn't ready for. Feelings didn't necessarily mean he was ready to be in a relationship again. 

Newt nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I am." 

Thomas felt a little bit awkward about it; when it had happened last time, it just happened. But now that he actually had to think about it, it was a little weird. That is, until he wrapped his arms around Newt's waist and Newt rested a hand on Thomas' chest and flicked those eyes up at him. Everything clicked when he looked into them and suddenly he wasn't thinking anymore. 

Slowly, he moved in closer, leaning in. He wasn't sure when his eyes had closed, but he couldn't see anymore; not that he needed to. When his lips touched Newt's, Newt flinched, but when he kissed Thomas back everything was on fire. 

If Thomas didn't know better, he would've thought that someone was holding a flashlight to his eyes. Suddenly his mind and senses were filled with heat and lights and colors. When it ended, Thomas came crashing back to reality. He wasn't sure when, but he had pulled Newt right up against him and held him there firmly. At some point, Newt had wrapped his arms around Thomas' shoulders. Newt looked just as dazed as Thomas felt. 

Newt smiled. "That was better than expected." 

Thomas laughed a little bit, nodding. "Yeah it was. So does this mean...?" 

Newt hesitantly slid his arms away from Thomas, smirking. "If that's how you think you're gonna ask me out, then hell no." 

Thomas laughed, releasing Newt and digging into his pocket, pulling out the flower he had given Newt. He added the flower Newt had given him as well and even went the extra mile to get down on one knee. He smirked. "Newt whatever-your-last-name-is, will you be my boyfriend?" 

Newt laughed; all bubbly and giggles, making Thomas smile wider. Newt took the little flowers. He handed the yellow one back- the flower that was apparently a weed that Thomas had given Newt- and pressed it into Thomas' hand. "It's a partnership. You get half, I get half." he nodded. "So yes." 

Thomas laughed and got to his feet, hugging him closely. "I love you." 

Newt wrapped his arms around him. "I love ya, too Tommy." he said warmly. 

Thomas stood there, smiling stupidly into Newt's hair for awhile. He looked over Newt's shoulders at the little yellow flower in his hand and gently folded his fingers around it. It was his most prized possession at this point. 

Then Thomas kissed Newt's forehead- 

he was the most precious thing he had in his life now.


End file.
